Okay, I held off as long as I could, but no more. As a cop I have a great respect for the Office of President of the United States. But as a citizen I am left dumbstruck by the absolute arrogance of President Bush in particular, his administration in general, and the Republican party as a whole after the display of monumentally moronic proportions that the media laughingly named the State of the Union address.
Mr. President has had six years to prosecute first one war, then two wars under the auspices of the grandaddy of all "Gimmie's", his often touted "Global War on Terror". As much as I dislike TV Psycho-hacks I absolutely must pull a Dr. Dumdum, I mean Dr. Phil, and ask, "MR. PRESIDENT, HOW'S THAT WORKIN' FOR YA?"
September 11, 2001 changed this country in many ways, some subtle, some much more severe. But on September 12, 2001, EVERY American stood behind President Bush and said "Never Again". EVERY American, whether they admitted it or not wanted Osama Bin Laden and the Al 'Qiada network wiped from the face of the earth. EVERY free, democratic nation on the planet offered their support to President Bush.
What will history say of George Bush? I'm not sure! I, however, will say that in just five and a half years his arrogance of purpose, his arrogance of righteousness, his arrogance of privilege have forever tarnished the proud and unique history that is the ONLY successful free and democratic nation "of the people".
President Bush's myopic view of what a war on terror should be took the goodwill and support the citizens of the world offered to the United States and transformed this nation from a wounded but noble defender of global freedom striking out against terrorism in all its forms worldwide, and transformed this nation into the poster child for blood-thirsty imperialism bent on world domination to the drumbeat of slogans like, "Nation Building", "Stay the Course" and "Regime Change".
I lost count of how many speeches were given by all levels of the Republican party touting the threats posed by anyone who dared to question the actions and plans of the President. I am heartsick as the bodycount of Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen steadily passes another thousand. I am exponentially outraged by the palpable contempt President Bush, Vice-President Cheney and others in the Republican party display for those good citizens who step forward to speak their minds and challenge the direction our President has chosen.
Justice Anthony Kennedy said, "The First Amendment is often inconvenient. But that is besides the point. Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech." We are a nation built on the principle that I as a citizen can argue my displeasure with the government to the highest levels of power. But since I do not fit into the President's view of America I cannot. I must be silenced, ignored, or more commonly, ridiculed as being un-American, Un-patriotic, even subversive and a friend to terrorists.
As we rev up for the 2008 Elections I try to rebound from the abomination that was the State of the Union address. Mr. President stood in front of the world and tried to pass off his arrogance as sincerity, cooperation, and perfectly appropriate behaviuor. I will try hard to forget the fawning Republican lemmings who clapped every time Mr. President stopped long enough to take a breath. I will also try hard to forgive the self-righteous Democrats who sat stonefaced and acted as if they had no part in the past five and a half years. I don't care what side of the aisle you are on, if nothing changes I will have to trust Aesop's fable about "The Frog and the Ox" and hope to heaven that their "Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction."
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Bangor Leaders send Constitution up in smoke
Mayor Richard D. Greene of The City of Bangor, Maine is leading the vanguard thrust to protect children from second-hand smoke by shredding The Constitution and supporting a traffic law that has absolutely nothing to do with traffic or public safety.
The City of Bangor just passed and enacted a law which gives police the authority to stop any motorist who is: 1) smoking in their vehicle and 2) has a juvenile (child under 18) in that same vehicle. The result of such an infraction is a civil fine of $50.00.
Okay, lets review. Every court in the nation has held that, with only a few exceptions, a person has the same RIGHT to privacy in their vehicle as they have in their home. Next, a traffic safety law is supposed to be just that, a law that improves traffic safety. Finally, smoking IS a health hazard, but this law, while well intentioned, is subjugating each citizen's Fourth Amendment Right, "to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures" for the sake of an anti-smoking campaign.
Bangor and Mayor Greene have missed the proverbial broadside of the barn by taking such a narrow shot at dealing with the 1000 pound gorilla no-one REALLY wants to confront.
First lets deal with this law. It has been written as an ordinance that is a part of the city's traffic laws. What does this law do to improve public safety on the streets of Bangor - NOTHING. How does this law make it safer to drive on the streets of Bangor - IT DOESN'T.
Next, the City officials claim they are giving police officers this broad authority to stop you for this violation because second-hand smoke is such an immediate danger to the development of a child. In fact, Mayor Greene was quoted in the January 19, 2007 edition of The New York Times as saying, “I think it boils down to common sense: smoking is not good for you. Certainly if you have young children who are in the process of developing and growing, it’s even worse for them. You wouldn’t say, ‘Hey, here’s a bottle of mercury. Go bob it around.’ ” Okay, Mr. Mayor, if this is such a risk then why does this law rise ONLY to the level of a CIVIL INFRACTION. No Misdemeanor, No Felony, No Jail, No Prison, just a $50.00 fine?
I am appalled and ashamed that you and five other members of the Bangor city council went out of your way to give the Bangor Police the authority to make what every court in the nation calls a "detention" or "arrest" and a serious infringement on MY Constitutionally protected Fourth Amendment Rights against warrantless seizures so YOU can try to get me to quit smoking!!!
My response is simple. If second-hand smoke is such an immediate and serious danger to the health of our children then we must confront and kill the proverbial 1000 pound gorilla. We must fully and completely prohibit the possession, use, sale, delivery, and cultivation of this dangerous substance. Tell the tobacco lobby to go to hell, tell the tobacco farmer enough is enough, and tell the multi-billion dollar a year cigarette companies that the United States will no longer tolerate their abuse of our fellow citizens. Cigarettes ARE BAD FOR YOU, DUH!!!!!!!
Cancer and the other associated diseases attributed to cigarettes WILL KILL YOU!!!!!!
So, GET RID OF THE CIGARETTES and the rest takes care of itself. As for Bangor, I'm glad I live in Florida.
The City of Bangor just passed and enacted a law which gives police the authority to stop any motorist who is: 1) smoking in their vehicle and 2) has a juvenile (child under 18) in that same vehicle. The result of such an infraction is a civil fine of $50.00.
Okay, lets review. Every court in the nation has held that, with only a few exceptions, a person has the same RIGHT to privacy in their vehicle as they have in their home. Next, a traffic safety law is supposed to be just that, a law that improves traffic safety. Finally, smoking IS a health hazard, but this law, while well intentioned, is subjugating each citizen's Fourth Amendment Right, "to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures" for the sake of an anti-smoking campaign.
Bangor and Mayor Greene have missed the proverbial broadside of the barn by taking such a narrow shot at dealing with the 1000 pound gorilla no-one REALLY wants to confront.
First lets deal with this law. It has been written as an ordinance that is a part of the city's traffic laws. What does this law do to improve public safety on the streets of Bangor - NOTHING. How does this law make it safer to drive on the streets of Bangor - IT DOESN'T.
Next, the City officials claim they are giving police officers this broad authority to stop you for this violation because second-hand smoke is such an immediate danger to the development of a child. In fact, Mayor Greene was quoted in the January 19, 2007 edition of The New York Times as saying, “I think it boils down to common sense: smoking is not good for you. Certainly if you have young children who are in the process of developing and growing, it’s even worse for them. You wouldn’t say, ‘Hey, here’s a bottle of mercury. Go bob it around.’ ” Okay, Mr. Mayor, if this is such a risk then why does this law rise ONLY to the level of a CIVIL INFRACTION. No Misdemeanor, No Felony, No Jail, No Prison, just a $50.00 fine?
I am appalled and ashamed that you and five other members of the Bangor city council went out of your way to give the Bangor Police the authority to make what every court in the nation calls a "detention" or "arrest" and a serious infringement on MY Constitutionally protected Fourth Amendment Rights against warrantless seizures so YOU can try to get me to quit smoking!!!
My response is simple. If second-hand smoke is such an immediate and serious danger to the health of our children then we must confront and kill the proverbial 1000 pound gorilla. We must fully and completely prohibit the possession, use, sale, delivery, and cultivation of this dangerous substance. Tell the tobacco lobby to go to hell, tell the tobacco farmer enough is enough, and tell the multi-billion dollar a year cigarette companies that the United States will no longer tolerate their abuse of our fellow citizens. Cigarettes ARE BAD FOR YOU, DUH!!!!!!!
Cancer and the other associated diseases attributed to cigarettes WILL KILL YOU!!!!!!
So, GET RID OF THE CIGARETTES and the rest takes care of itself. As for Bangor, I'm glad I live in Florida.
New Year, New Blog
The last three months of 2006 were just so busy I did absolutely nothing with this bolg. My bad! But with the new year I get a whole new chance to try again.
2007 is full of promise, full of opportunity, and full of stuff to blog about. As you can see I have slapped some paint on the ole digital walls and slung a few new doo-dads into the mix to try and win back my loyal readers (both of you) and, perhaps gain a few more.
I start this new year revival by realizing I was blogging but not connecting with you. I just threw my thoughts out there and left them to rot on the internet vine. NO MORE! I will be an active participant in this blog from now on and will try hard to speak to issues that not only affect me, but you too. I will speak from my heart, my head, and sometimes out of my a**, but I will do so with the intent to get us involved in our lives, our families, and our communities.
I will not always be right. Hell, I may never be right, but if I can talk about a subject and get you interested, mad, sad, or even just a little bit more inquisitive about it, that is the connection I want to make. I will try to be fair to all but I will express MY opinion and you can take it or leave it at your pleasure.
As always my views will, inextricably, be colored by the exercise of Law. After all, I am a Deputy Sheriff and my views will always be from that Pro-Law Enforcement viewpoint. However, I am not a lemming, I will not just drum out a Pro-cop chant all the time. I abhor anyone who uses their Authority to discriminate, abuse, control, or otherwise insult and injure those they have been sworn to protect. Such loathsome conduct not only can be perpetrated by police officers, but by politicians, teachers, business leaders, and even parents. As such, this year I will broaden my horizons and we'll just have to see where it may take us.
May you be blessed this new year with peace, love, faith, and good fortune.
2007 is full of promise, full of opportunity, and full of stuff to blog about. As you can see I have slapped some paint on the ole digital walls and slung a few new doo-dads into the mix to try and win back my loyal readers (both of you) and, perhaps gain a few more.
I start this new year revival by realizing I was blogging but not connecting with you. I just threw my thoughts out there and left them to rot on the internet vine. NO MORE! I will be an active participant in this blog from now on and will try hard to speak to issues that not only affect me, but you too. I will speak from my heart, my head, and sometimes out of my a**, but I will do so with the intent to get us involved in our lives, our families, and our communities.
I will not always be right. Hell, I may never be right, but if I can talk about a subject and get you interested, mad, sad, or even just a little bit more inquisitive about it, that is the connection I want to make. I will try to be fair to all but I will express MY opinion and you can take it or leave it at your pleasure.
As always my views will, inextricably, be colored by the exercise of Law. After all, I am a Deputy Sheriff and my views will always be from that Pro-Law Enforcement viewpoint. However, I am not a lemming, I will not just drum out a Pro-cop chant all the time. I abhor anyone who uses their Authority to discriminate, abuse, control, or otherwise insult and injure those they have been sworn to protect. Such loathsome conduct not only can be perpetrated by police officers, but by politicians, teachers, business leaders, and even parents. As such, this year I will broaden my horizons and we'll just have to see where it may take us.
May you be blessed this new year with peace, love, faith, and good fortune.
Tis' Haggis Huntin' Season
Not much more I can add to one of my favorite Scottish pastimes that Scotsman.com hasn't covered in this updated version of the time honored tradition.
http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/
Enjoy.
http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/
Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
